Political equations changing by the day, Darjeeling braces for 3-cornered contest

While the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is supporting the BJP, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) is backing the Trinamool Congress candidate.

Further changing the constituency’s political landscape, the Hamro Party recently joined the INDIA alliance, while the Congress has emerged as a contender against the BJP and TMC.

Snapping ties with the Trinamool Congress, GJM leader Bimal Gurung on Sunday extended support to sitting MP and BJP candidate Raju Bista, while BJP’s Kalimpong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma filed nomination papers as an Independent candidate against Bista.

While Hamro Party chief Ajoy Edwards joined the INDIA bloc alliance, Munish Tamang, the national president of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), joined the Congress in Delhi.

Though the Congress is yet to name its candidate from the seat, former GJM leader Binay Tamang, who last year joined the Congress, revolted by saying he would oppose his party if Munish Tamang is made a party candidate.

The political landscape in the constituency has always been tumultuous with regional forces playing a deciding role in sealing the fate of national party candidates, amid the overriding sentiment of separate statehood demand (Gorkhaland).

The BJP has won the constituency since 2009 but it is for the first time that it did not change its candidate. Unlike previous winners (Jaswant Singh and SS Ahluwalia), Raju Bista has been given a party ticket to retain the seat which he won in 2019 by a landslide margin of over 4 lakh votes.

Upset with the party’s decision to field Bista from Darjeeling again, BJP’s Kurseong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma filed his nomination papers as an Independent. “I had said earlier that I will contest the Lok Sabha election if an outsider was given a ticket by the party,” Sharma said.

A BJP MLA since 2021, Sharma has been one of the most vocal legislators who kept up the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland alive in Bengal. Although he hails from Manipur, Bista is from the Gorkha community.

Reacting to Sharma’s decision, Bista said this was nothing but a drama. “If anyone wants to contest elections, they do not need my permission. He is a sitting MLA of the BJP. He must resign first if he wants to contest. This is nothing but a drama.”

Once a prominent face in Darjeeling politics, GJM’s Bimal Gurung, who extended his support to the BJP, said, “We have once again decided to support the BJP in the interests of the Gorkha community, their aspirations and to conserve our language and culture.”

The Gurung faction of GJM has supported the TMC since the 2021 state Assembly polls. However, this volta face is likely to give a boost to the BJP in the upcoming election.

Edwards said, “The Hamro Party joined the INDIA alliance because the BJP did not deliver on its promises in 15 years. The Hamro Party will support any candidate the Congress nominates from Darjeeling.”

Munish Tamang, it is learnt, is emerging as a strong contender for the Congress ticket from the seat.

Amid these speculations, Binay Tamang raised a banner of revolt, saying, “I will not support Munish Tamang or his counterpart Ajoy Edwards in the Lok Sabha polls. The district and state committees were not taken into confidence on these developments.”

On the other hand, Gopal Lama, the BGPM-backed TMC candidate, appeared unfazed by the development. “We are confident of winning the seat this time as people have been let down by the national parties. The changing equations among other parties do not matter to us,” he said.

BGPM president Anit Thapa also exuded confidence of snatching the seat from the BJP this time. “People have realised what is good for them. They will vote for development,” said Thapa.